


Sympathy for the Devil

by rycbar5 (Amsalja)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: An exploration of Billy's character, Billy is a dick and I'm not gonna sweep that under the rug, But I'm also going to develop him into the character he is in season 2, Character Development, Controlling!Billy, F/M, Original Korean Character, Racial slurs, Racism, Set in California, hate evolves into love, possessive!Billy, prequel story, smut later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-14 12:24:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15388695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amsalja/pseuds/rycbar5
Summary: Nari Mills had never spoken to Billy Hargrove, despite being his classmate for years. In fact, she doubted he even knew she existed and she would have been perfectly content to keep it that way. Yet, it seemed that fate had other ideas.A prequel story to Stranger Things 2, set in California.





	1. L.A. Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place before the Hargrove-Mayfield family moves to Hawkins. Billy is a little different in this story, compared to how he is in Stranger Things 2. He's more aloof and not so constantly angry. This isn't an attempt to change his character. The purpose of this story is to explore how and why he becomes like that. It was my impression, while watching his character, that he became worse due to whatever reason they moved to Hawkins. I'm sure the real reason will be explored in the future of the show and won't even be close to the events of this story, but for now I'm gonna have some fun with the blank spots in his character's history. 
> 
> This is essentially a love story between him and an OFC, but it's not an instant attraction. It's more of a hate turns into love story. Furthermore, Billy's behaviour once in the relationship isn't typical and is quite dark. He will be possessive and controlling and there will be fairly graphic sexual content later on. 
> 
> The OFC's mother is Korean and her father is of English descent. Of course, Billy's behaviour in ST2 suggests he's a racist, so pairing him with a half-Korean girl may seem odd. However, this will play a role towards the end of the story. The OFC's name is Nari Mills and I imagine her looking like Lee Ji-Eun (IU), when she has her golden-brown hair.
> 
> Lastly, I'm Australian and have never been to America. If I make any mistakes, please let me know and I'll fix it up. I decided to set the story in LA - it's never specified where in California Max and Billy are from. Specifically the Santa Monica/Venice Beach area. Feel free to point out to me if you can't imagine Max and Billy being from that particular part of LA though.

_**Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light?**_  
_**Or just another lost angel – City of Night.**_  
  
**\- L.A. Woman by the Doors (1971)**

* * *

Nari Mills felt trapped in a corner. Her best friend looking at her with wide, pleading eyes. Rachel Taylor was a naturally pretty girl with a slim figure that had curves in the right places, long brown hair, sun-kissed skin and almond shaped green eyes.

"Come on, Nari,  _please,_ " Rachel begged. "I don't want to go alone!"

Nari bit her bottom lip, feeling torn. For over a month, Rachel had been crushing on Eli Nelson. As far as Nari was concerned, the guy – and all his friends – were bad news and she'd prefer to keep her distance from them. So far, she'd managed to do just that, but somehow Rachel had been invited by Eli to his party that night and was leaping at the opportunity. The catch was that she wanted Nari to come with her. Part of her felt guilty and didn't want to let her friend down. Another part of her was adamant about not going and continuing to avoid Eli and his friends like the plague.

"Can't you just go on your own?" Nari huffed. "Once you see Eli, you'll forget I'm there anyway."

"I promise I won't!" Rachel tried to convince her. "Besides, his friends are just as attractive as he is… if I finally get somewhere with Eli, you'll have your pick of hot guys to choose from for yourself."

"You're crazy," Nari rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but those guys are all assholes. I don't care how good looking you think they are."

"What about Billy Hargrove?"

"Ugh, no," Nari screwed her nose up in distaste. "He's the  _worst_ of the lot!"

"Aww, come on. He may be a little rough around the edges, but he is damn  _gorgeous_ and no one can deny it."

"You've lost it…" Nari muttered under her breath.

It wasn't as though she didn't like parties, but this kind of party didn't appeal to her at all. Yet, the puppy dog eyes Rachel was giving her eventually crumbled her resolve.

"Fine…" she sighed.

Rachel grinned, quickly giving Nari a tight hug in gratitude before moving over to her record player. Before Nari knew it,  _Hurts So Good_ by John Cougar was playing at top volume. It was tradition now for them to get ready while listening to that song. Rachel flung clothes haphazardly all over her bedroom, looking for the best outfit that would impress Eli. Nari didn't bother altering her own appearance, despite Rachel's protests, but she did help Rachel with her make up. By the time her best friend was ready she looked stunning. Nari knew Eli would have to be an idiot not to appreciate Rachel's beautiful appearance, as much as she didn't like the guy.

Nari looked ridiculously underdressed by comparison in her slightly baggy Rolling Stones shirt, denim shorts and old white Vans. Yet, this wasn't an ordinary party to her and she couldn't have cared less about how she looked. To her, there was no one to impress. She got into Rachel's car and the two began driving through the streets, headed for the party.

Once they arrived, things were in full swing. The music was blaring and the house was full of teens drinking from plastic red cups. Nari lingered a little behind Rachel, already craving some Springsteen or Fleetwood Mac instead of the hard rock music surrounding her. Her friend was quick to spot Eli, moving over to him.

Eli Nelson was a guy of average height and a lean but toned build. His hair was a dark brown that fell to just above his shoulders and his eyes were a striking blue that seemed to cut through your very soul if their attention happened to focus on you. Nari could understand the appeal for Rachel. He was incredibly good looking and something about his blasé attitude seemed to draw women in like a moth to a flame. However, his cocky, over-confident attitude rubbed her the wrong way.

"Hey princess," Eli drawled once he spotted Rachel, his gaze raking over her figure.

Nari rolled her eyes as Rachel giggled coyly, instantly beginning to flirt with Eli. Turning her attention away from the two of them, Nari then made eye contact with the guy standing next to Eli. It was Johnny Slater, who was in the year above the rest of them. He was looking right at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. His beady brown eyes seemed to be undressing her with his gaze and it made her skin crawl.

Another guy came up to Slater and stole his attention for the moment, giving Nari an opportunity to leave and find a drink. Rachel was well and truly absorbed in Eli by then, so Nari knew she wouldn't be missed and figured she should make the most of being there since she'd been dragged along anyway.

After acquiring a cup of beer, Nari made her way through the house and found a small circle of mostly occupied chairs. Managing to get one that was free, she sat down, recognising the opening riff of AC/DC's  _Hells Bells_ playing. A guy seated across from her was talking to the rest of the group in the circle and she tuned in, listening to what he was saying.

"We take turns around the circle. Every time you hear 'Hells Bells' it's the next persons turn to drink. You can't stop drinking until the next 'Hells Bells'."

Most people in the circle nodded or murmured their agreement and before long it was the chorus and the first time in the song that Hells Bells was uttered. The guy who had spoken before took the first turn and shortly after, the person next to him followed once the second 'Hells Bells' had been sung. The next person quickly followed and then the fourth time it was uttered, it was Nari's turn.

Eager to feel the effects of the alcohol and have some fun, Nari raised her cup and drank quickly. Unfortunately for her though, that was the last line of the chorus and a short instrumental break followed. She noticed her cup would be empty soon and wordlessly held out her free hand for another drink. She felt someone place a can in her hand and once her cup was empty, she threw it away and lifted the can to her lips. The others in the circle had begun cheering her as the second verse began.

**_I'll give you black sensations up and down your spine_ **

**_If you're into evil you're a friend of mine_ **

**_See the white light flashing as I split the night_ **

**_'Cause if good's on the left,_ **

_**Then I'm stickin' to the right**_  


She almost thought the chorus must be next, but she was wrong. Thankfully she couldn't drink from the can as quickly as she had from the cup.  
  


**_I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives_ **

**_Nobody's puttin' up a fight_ **

**_I got my bell, I'm gonna take you to hell_ **

**_I'm gonna get you, Satan get you_ **

_**Hells Bells!**_  


Nari took the final sip from the can when she finally heard the words and her turn was over. More cheers erupted, with the girl next to her handing her another drink and she let out a goofy grin, accepting the new can of beer. Nari already felt pretty lightheaded. She was a complete lightweight and the game had allowed the alcohol to kick in and for her to loosen up and enjoy herself a little.

Yet, with flushed cheeks and a warmth spreading through her body, Nari decided she was done with the game and needed some fresh air. She got up from her chair, swaying a little as she moved through the crowd and headed for the door that led outside. She was almost there when someone bumped into her from behind and she tripped over her own feet. She stumbled forward, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a beautiful girl directly in front of her.

Time seemed to slow down as Nari prepared herself for the impact, ready for her drink to spill all over the poor girl and for the awkward, rambling apologies to fall from her lips. What she wasn't ready for was the tight grip on her wrist, or to look up at the man standing next to the girl. Her eyes widened even further when she realized it was none other than Billy Hargrove. She would have recognized the tall, imposing stature, those dirty blonde curls, his full lips and cold, round blue eyes anywhere. His strong grip steadied her and her drink, stopping her from spilling it all over him and his date.

Nari may have badmouthed him over the years, but in that moment she couldn't help but admire his quick reflexes. She wondered briefly about whether she'd misjudged him all those years, thinking he was an arrogant jerk who only cared about himself. Those light blue eyes stared intently into her own dark brown ones and once again, she was ready to blurt out words – this time ones of gratitude rather than apology – but once again the words died on her tongue as Billy carelessly shoved her in the opposite direction, her drink spilling all over her shirt.

She stood there, frozen in complete and utter shock as the cold beer seeped through the material, chilling the skin underneath. Her brain reeled, trying to catch up with what had just transpired. However, once she did catch up she seethed with anger.

 _Pabo ya,_ she scolded herself mentally.

She was a downright fool for thinking Billy Hargrove might actually be a decent human being. He hadn't been catching her fall for any reason other than to steer himself clear of her spilled drink. He couldn't have cared less about her and she doubted he could have cared less about his beautiful date.

Swirling around to face him, her hands became clenched into fists by her sides. He looked at her with an expression of boredom, as his date barely tried to stifle her giggles at Nari's predicament. This only made Nari's anger grow, but her focus was solely on Billy, who had looked away by then in disinterest.

"Hey!" She yelled out to him, only angered further when he seemed unperturbed by her outburst. "What the hell is your problem, you jerk!?"

"Watch where you're going next time," he replied nonchalantly, still not even bothering to look at her.

She gaped after him as he began moving through the crowd, his date following him. Nari narrowed her eyes at him and attempted to follow, not willing to let him get away with it.

"Hey!" She yelled out. " **Hey**!"

It was useless though, as he was long gone and she was much shorter, swallowed by the sea of people. Huffing to herself, Nari looked down at her ruined shirt and pouted, cursing the very existence of Billy Hargrove. She weaved back through the crowd until she got to the kitchen. Turning on the faucet, she wet her shirt, trying to avoid any stains. Her temper was flared up as she mentally called Billy every offensive term under the sun – both in English and Korean.

Until that moment, neither of the two had ever acknowledged the others existence. They'd never spoken, despite years of being classmates. She doubted he even knew who she was - not that it would excuse his behavior. It was her first encounter with Billy Hargrove and needless to say, she wasn't at all impressed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There wasn't much Billy in this chapter, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated! 
> 
> 'Pabo ya' (바보야) basically means 'you fool' or 'you idiot' in Korean. 
> 
> The drinking game Nari plays is one I've played, but with 'Thunderstruck'. Since that didn't come out until 1990, I had to find an alternative...but it definitely works better with Thunderstruck.


	2. Play With Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who left Kudos on chapter one! 
> 
> I've just updated chapter one with a newer, longer and more detailed version. Any returning readers should probably give it another quick read so that this chapter (and future ones) aren't confusing.

**_Don’t play with me, ‘cause you’re playing with fire_ **

**_-_ ** **Play With Fire by the Rolling Stones (1965)**

* * *

   
“ ** _Michin nom_**!” Nari muttered under her breath in Korean, glaring at Billy Hargrove from across the hall.

It was Monday morning and she hadn’t forgotten what he did the previous Saturday night at the party. How one person could be so rude was beyond her and she vowed to herself that she’d put him in his place one way or another. For the moment, however, she was content to glare daggers at him from across the school hallway.

He seemed completely at ease, leaning against his locker, his gaze suggestive as Lori Jensen flirted shamelessly with him. _Why_ so many women threw themselves at him was beyond Nari. Physical beauty only got you so far and Nari scoffed as she observed Billy’s appearance that morning. He wore tight jeans, as he always did, paired with a white button-up shirt.

“Why bother wearing a shirt if you’re only going to do up two buttons!?” She exclaimed in annoyance, now glaring at his exposed chest. “Even if you have a nice body, you don’t need to flaunt it so shamelessly!”

So wrapped up in her annoyed muttering was Nari that it took her a moment to realize she’d admitted out loud that Billy Hargrove was attractive.

“ _Ani, ani_ ,” she spoke rapidly in Korean once again, shaking her head furiously as though the action would somehow delete her previous statement from existence.

“What’re you muttering about?”

Nari turned quickly to find Rachel with her childhood friend, Jay, who was leaning against her locker and giving her a look of puzzled amusement. Jay was her closest friend, who she’d known since the age of three. He was tall and slim with shaggy brown hair, an olive skin tone and wide, brown eyes. He watched her in curiosity, his brow furrowing into a frown and his lips settling into a slight pout as he waited for her answer.

“Nothing, nothing,” Nari responded, laughing awkwardly and unconvincingly.

Jay narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing her, before his gaze flitted over to where hers had rested only moments ago.

“You were staring at Billy Hargrove?” He asked slowly, his expression quizzical.

“Wait, _what?_ ” Rachel finally cut in, following Jay’s gaze. “So you _are_ interested?”

“God, Rach, **_no_**!!” Nari stared at Rachel in disbelief. 

However, her friend continued talking as though Nari had never spoken. 

“I could probably set something up,” she continued, wrapped up in her own little world. “He’s more of a one night stand kinda guy though. But I mean, if you’re _into_ that sort of thing then…”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jay muttered under his breath in annoyance. 

“Rach!” Nari cut in more loudly.

Rachel stopped her rambling, looking at Nari with wide eyes. 

“I don’t want to even be in the same room as the guy!” She explained. “He’s a grade A asshole!” 

“Why were you staring at him then?” Rachel asked with a knowing look. 

Nari gave her friend an aggravated look before recounting what had happened at the party. By the time she’d finished she was feeling even more exasperated, due to Rachel’s excited grin. 

“Oh, you two should definitely hook up!” 

“Rach, what are you _talking_ about? I can’t stand him and I’m pretty confident that the feeling is mutual.” 

“He’s like Eli,” Rachel grinned. “All rough on the edges but once you get to know him…” 

She let her sentence hang in the air, a dreamy look in her eyes. 

“You’re deluded,” Jay cut in, rolling his eyes and slinging an arm around Nari's shoulder, pulling her into his side. “Besides, Nari can do better than that jackass.” 

“Hear, hear!” Nari heartily agreed, finally cracking a grin of her own. “Your head is shoved so far up Eli’s ass you’ve lost all rational thought, Rach.” 

Rachel huffed in annoyance. “Whatever. You’ll eventually see I’m right and then you’ll be sorry.”

 

* * *

 

A few weeks went by and Billy Hargrove was shoved to the back of Nari’s mind. She had only seen him briefly in the school hallways and from a distance in class – and she preferred to keep it that way. One night doing a late night shift at Zucky’s Deli, where she’d been working as a waitress for a couple of years. It was a Tuesday night and nearing 11pm, so they weren’t that busy and she was able to chat with her work friend Eiza.

Eiza was a beautiful 19-year-old college student, working part time. She had a glowing medium-tan skin tone, big, doe-like brown eyes, a tall hourglass figure and long, wavy brown hair that was almost always tied back. She was always vibrant and friendly – perfect for the customer service business and for keeping Nari energetic when they worked together. 

There wasn’t much to do and Nari stared at the clock, tapping a pencil against the counter. At that moment, Eiza was taking the order of two older guys and Nari’s only company was Todd Rundgren’s _Hello It’s Me,_ as it played on the radio. She looked over lazily when she saw the door at the entrance of the deli open but then felt her eyes widen when she saw that it was Billy Hargrove.

He sat himself in one of the booths and she sent a quick glance Eiza’s way, hoping she’d serve him. However, it looked like Eiza wasn’t finished taking the other order and technically he was in a booth she was supposed to cover. Sighing, Nari trudged over to his booth with great reluctance, menu in hand. He looked up at her when she approached, his expression unreadable. She stared at him for a moment, feeling awkward and as though this situation didn’t warrant her usual customer greeting. 

“You gonna give me the menu, or are you just gonna stand there?” 

His haughty tone snapped her out of it. She noticed that his brow was quirked in question and his expression showed that he was clearly irked. 

“Uh, yeah,” she replied clumsily. “Here…” 

She handed him the menu unceremoniously and he gave her an odd look, studying her for a moment. She turned on her heel, not wanting to spend another minute near his insufferable ass. As she walked away, leaving him to choose what he wanted from the menu, Nari realized something. The way he’d regarded her… he had looked at her like it was their first meeting. The son of a bitch didn’t even remember her! 

Oh that was just rich! Typical, considering he had a new girl just about every day. She doubted he remembered all of them so why would he remember her? Yet, Nari still felt insulted and all her anger regarding his treatment of her at Eli’s party resurfaced. She stood behind the counter, glaring daggers at Billy and internally cursing his very existence. 

“Damn,” Eiza laughed, noticing Nari’s sour expression when she eventually approached her. “Bad customer?” 

“Oh you have no idea,” Nari replied. 

“Shame. He’s pretty cute.” 

“Oh god, not you too!” Nari groaned.

“What do you mean?” 

“We go to school together. He’s the biggest shithead to ever walk the earth, but girls keep flinging themselves at him.” 

Eiza just laughed. “Well it looks like that ‘shithead’ is ready to order. Good luck.” 

Nari pouted in annoyance and begrudgingly went back over to his booth. She was sickeningly sweet as she took his order, pushing her contempt for him to the back of her mind for the moment, but the pressure she used when writing down his order was almost enough to break her pencil in half. He sat lazily against the vinyl-upholstered seat and Nari noticed how tense he was, clearly already pissed off about something before coming to Zucky’s. She couldn’t have cared less though. She just wanted the night to be over and to be serving her usual customers. She’d even take the more annoying kind – anyone but _him_.

The rest of her exchanges with him in the Deli were minimal, as she only spoke to him when necessary. He didn’t seem all that bothered by her less than friendly demeanor. In fact, he barely seemed to pay her any mind, too caught up over whatever he was internally seething over as he smoked cigarette after cigarette. Nari busied herself with meaningless tasks, waiting for her shift to be over and pointedly ignoring him.

“Hon, you’re done for the night.” 

Nari turned to see Gina, an older woman who was taking over from her and Eiza, giving her a warm smile. 

“Thanks, Gina,” Nari smiled back tiredly. 

She walked out the back, leaving Eiza who was chatting enthusiastically to Gina. Nari just wanted to go home. She got changed quickly and headed out the back door, ready to walk home. However, she saw that Billy was walking ahead of her on the sidewalk, clearly having finished his meal. He was nearly at his car and Nari could have let it go – that certainly would have been the smart thing to do– but her anger was still bubbling up inside of her and she was determined to finally give him a piece of her mind.

“Hey!” She called out indignantly. 

This time he actually stopped and turned to look at her. He was clearly less than amused, but she was beyond caring. 

“You owe me an apology,” she told him irately. 

There was a moment of silence between them, Billy simply stared at her, his cigarette sitting between his lips and leaving a haze of smoke to swirl in front of him.

“For what, exactly?” He asked lowly, irritation dripping from every word. 

“First you handle me like a… a sack of potatoes! Shoving me around, drenching me in beer at that douchebag Eli’s party. Then tonight, you don’t even recognise me! You’re the most insufferable kind of pretentious dickhead! I don’t know who you think you are but…”

Her words trailed off and her eyes widened as Billy quickly closed the distance between them, getting right up in her face and grabbing hold of her forearm in a vicelike grip. His imposing figure invaded her personal space, successfully intimidating and quietening her. His 5’8” height seemed to tower over her shorter 5’1” frame, his blue eyes were cold as ice and his strong cologne invaded all of her senses. She suddenly felt as small as an insect, the brewing fury in his eyes leaving her truly scared of him for the first time. His tight hold on her arm was enough already to intimidate her, but she also sensed something dark and threatening emanating from him.

“I don’t give a shit who you are.”

His voice sent chills down her spine. His voice was low and almost deceivingly calm, but with an undertone of warning that she didn’t want to challenge. 

“If you know what’s good for you,” he continued in that quiet, dangerous tone. “You’ll stay out of my way.” 

Silence fell over the two of them, Nari unable to speak and Billy trapping her in his icy gaze. He watched her for a moment longer, almost as though he was searching her eyes for any sign of further insolence from her. When he found none, he finally leant back and away from her, dropping her arm from his grip roughly. He was no longer looking at her and turned back around, once again heading towards his Camaro. He didn’t look at her again; he simply got in his car and sped off, Metallica blaring from the speakers as he did. 

Nari watched him in stunned silence until the blue Camaro was out of sight and earshot. She let out a shaky sigh, anger and annoyance still simmering inside her. Now, though, there was something else accompanying those emotions. A touch of fear. Rachel was wrong when she said Billy and Eli were the same. Eli may have been a cocky, arrogant jerk, but Billy was something much worse. He had a burning rage deep inside him and as annoyed as Nari was with his behaviour, she didn’t want to provoke it any further than she already had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michin nom (미친놈) means 'crazy bastard' in Korean, while 'ani' (아니) is an informal way of saying 'no'.
> 
> Zucky's was a real restaurant and deli in Santa Monica. I've done a fair bit of research, so hopefully the way I write it will be believable, but my version is still a fictionalised version. It was open 24 hours and from what I can tell was pretty popular and locally famous.


End file.
